Stepping Out of The Gym: The Blue Line Life

What if maintaining your health or fitness level could mean life or death every time you went to work?

One of the things that inspired me to do this series on fitness and our careers is the way I have witnessed fitness and health impact the career of someone very close to me.

All the men and women who serve to protect and help us as first responders put themselves in danger day in and out and tend to scenes and situations so many of us could never imagine seeing in person. Representing that blue line isn’t just a go to work and get a paycheck kind of job. It is a lifestyle. So how does fitness and health come into play for the men and women who live that blue line?

Well you could hear my thoughts on it all day; my boyfriend could vouch for that 😭. I’m sure we could all speculate on the importance of looking after your health and fitness level when you are put in possibly physically taxing situations on the regular. But instead of hearing me babble, I brought some questions right to the source.

This first set of answers came from my wonderful boyfriend. He graduated from the Academy in March and seeing him go through the pursuit of his career into living it was absolutely remarkable and inspiring…Why do you believe your current health and fitness level impact (positively or negatively) your career? Why is it important to your career to remain healthy and fit?

>>This is a 23+ year career and I want to see if through and be healthy at the end and actually enjoy my retirement. If I don’t stay fit, I can get injured or killed. I don’t work an office job. I work every day and go to work wondering if that goodbye kiss I just gave to my gf will be the last time I’d ever see her. I know I can die every single day when I put on that uniform. I understand that and that is why I do the job I do. I don’t want to become a statistic. I don’t want to be gunned down by someone just because of the uniform I wear. I want to do my job to the best of my ability and do it fairly and within the law. And I want to be healthy and fit doing it because quite frankly that’s the only choice I have.

What was the moment you realized you needed to make your health and fitness a priority?

>>When I found out how dangerous this job is. How officers die every year for a multitude of reasons, and bad health is such a huge contributor to that. Sitting in in a car for 10+ hours is not conducive to a healthy life. And how being healthy and fit will make me better fit to do my job and deal with all the risks associated with it.

Who/what inspires you the most?

>>Anytime I hear about an officer dying for whatever reason or seeing how out of shape people can let themselves get. That really drives me to want to not be “that” cop. My entire family…They worry about me and my safety daily I’m sure and being there for them for the long haul is a huge motivating factor. And my girlfriend Kaitlyn…She is such a huge contributor to my success if you can even call it that. I struggle every single day I go to CrossFit and normally finish last in every workout but she is still proud of me and encourages me to keep pushing. She also needs me around for our future so my health, fitness and overall safety is a priority for both of us and that’s amazing. She has devoted so much time to health and fitness and to see how much it impacts her life definitely influences me as well.

What is your exercise of choice? If you have a specific favorite workout what is it? What is a go to quick workout for a busy day?

>>Love the kettlebell. So many varying exercises. But in terms of a quick workout…Anything you can do without weights or without access to a gym would suffice – Be it push-ups, sit-ups, air squats, running, etc. The options are really limitless if you have an imagination. And above all else, stretch! I don’t need to explain all the reasons why that’s important, do I?What is your favorite go-to on the job fit snack?

>Beef jerky or a protein shake. Simple and easy for on the go life. Especially working nights, my food choices are limited to fast food, fast food…Or fast food!

The next set of answers comes from the awesome mind over at Police Fitness and Nutrition (http://www.policefitnut.com – IG: @policefitnessnutrition)… Seriously, go check them out. Top 5 most badass and inspiring Instagram’s I follow. They promote a healthy and fit lifestyle for all men and women in the force as well as showcase some of the badass officers killing it in the fitness game… Not to mention their logo is pretty sick 😉

Why do you believe your current health and fitness level impact (positively or negatively) your career? Why is it important to your career to remain healthy and fit?

I believe your fitness level is a huge part of working in law enforcement. I’m not saying you have to be big like Arnold or in Rich Froning type of shape. But being able to carry yourself in a respectable manner is huge. It looks good for your department, for the publics perception of us, and it should help you walk around with more confidence. Most of the time we spend on the job is driving around in a car being stagnant. But at times you have to go from 0-60 in a split second. That is where injury happens to the majority of on the job injuries. Keep your body ready to be able to do anything at any time. The publics perception right now is that we beat everyone up for no reason and we are fat out of shape donut eaters. I try to encourage community policing through my page to show the public we aren’t all that bad as well as fitness and nutrition to help fellow Leo’s who need some advice and motivation.

What was the moment you realized you needed to make your health and fitness a priority?

Personally, I have been an athlete all my life. Fitness was always important to me. As a kid, it was playing every single sport known to man. I didn’t play much video games, my friends and I would live out doors. Even in high school I didn’t focus on weight training. Just sports. Once I turned 19, I met this kid Julio in college who was huge and was curious on his habits. So I started weight training with him and have been in love ever since.

Who/what inspires you the most?

Being able to be a good husband, father, and provider inspires me the most.

What is your exercise of choice? If you have a specific favorite workout what is it? What is a go to quick workout for a busy day?

Exercise of choice is the deadlift. I f’n love it and would do it every single day if possible lol. The benefits it provides for body composition are like no other. My favorite workout is a push/pull/legs type of split. A quick workout for a busy day is either a full body blaster with little rest in between sets. Or an AMRAP type of workout you would do at a crossfit box.

What is your favorite go-to on the job fit snack?

Black coffee and a banana. Can’t go wrong with that!

What advice would you give to someone in a similar profession who is trying to schedule their own gym/fitness/workout routine into a busy schedule?

Stop making excuses. Excuses are just your way of telling yourself you don’t have to do something. Not because you can’t but because you don’t want to. Your number one goal should be going home to your family at night. Don’t let your fitness and health add to the huge list of things that can happen to you on the job. Workout at home or at work if you can’t get to a gym. At work, just the art of movement is enough. Go take a walk up and down some steps. It’s a way of checking on that area and getting out of your patrol car. Pack pack pack your food. Sure, there are healthy options out there but the chance of you wanting something quick and cheap on duty is pretty high. Packing your own food will prevent you from going through that nasty drive through! Drink lots of water on your shift. This can help suppress your appetite and keep you from binging on crappy sugary foods. Do it for your family, your profession, and most importantly, yourself!

I couldn’t have said it better myself guys :p 😉

So from the final words of both of these men… “Make it a priority. Do something. Get plenty of rest. Drink water. Stretch. Don’t fall into the trap of bad diet and no exercise just because that could very well be “what should happen”. CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND WRITE YOUR OWN STORY.” “Do it for your family, your profession, and most importantly, yourself!”